Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sparks, Nevada 89431
Tuesady, July 31, 1990 12:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A GLIDER COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AFTER AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PILOT BAILED OUT OF THE GLIDER BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PILOT INDICATED THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE. DURING THE ENCOUNTER, THE PILOT'S HEAD STRUCK THE GLIDER CANOPY AND THE PILOT'S RIGHT ARM WAS INJURED. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE PITCH OF THE GLIDER AND ELECTED TO BAIL OUT. THE PILOT HAD DIFFICULTY EXITING THE GLIDER DUE TO INJURIES. THE INJURY TO THE RIGHT ARM HAMPERED THE PILOT IN RELEASING THE GLIDER CANOPY, RELEASING HER SEAT BELT, AND PULLING THE PARACHUTE 'D-RING.' AFTER RELEASING THE CANOPY AND UNFASTENING THE SEAT BELT WITH THE AID OF HER LEFT HAND, THE PILOT DEPLOYED HER PARACHUTE WHILE STILL SEATED. THE PILOT LEANED FORWARD IN THE COCKPIT AND THE PILOT CHUTE DEPLOYED. AS THE MAIN CHUTE INFLATED, THE PILOT WAS PULLED FROM THE GLIDER. THE PILOT PARACHUTED SAFELY TO THE GROUND.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE GLIDER AS A RESULT OF INJURIES SUSTAINED DURING AN INFLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH TURBULENCE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS TURBULENT WEATHER CONDITION ENCOUNTERED.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/31/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | SPARKS |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89431 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1357 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 175 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RNO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4412 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 34 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1849 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 31 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1950 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 43637 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 5:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N34AZ |
| NTSB Number | LAX90LA264 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROLLADEN-SCHNEIDER |
| Aircraft Model | LS3-A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | LS3-A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3349 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1041 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 4 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 99 |
| Airframe Hours | 794 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HENRIETTA C. AMADE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 13199 EL RIVER ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | POTTER VALLEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95469 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |